Lions interested in Vikings' Leslie Frazier, but no interview is set

Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier is open-minded about interviewing for the Detroit Lions' head coaching vacancy.

But Frazier made it clear that his focus is on Sunday's playoff game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

"It's always good if people are checking you out and looking into you a little bit. But ... the big focus right now is the Eagles. I'm flattered that Detroit would show interest, and I hope to at some point to get a chance to talk to them about their position. But not at the risk of our not going deep into the playoffs," Frazier said. "I hope that we can win this weekend and just keep going."

According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Rams are expected to seek permission to speak to Frazier by the end of the weekend. The Rams also are expected to request permission to speak to Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan.

Frazier could speak to the Lions shortly after Sunday's game at the Metrodome, but no meeting has been set.

Asked if he would interview in the coming days, Frazier said, "If the schedule would allow it, I'd do it."

Vikings head coach Brad Childress said this could be a distraction but added, "with Les it's not."

"Les is a here-and-now guy," Childress said. "If it happens for him, that's great. If he's with the Minnesota Vikings, he's good with that, too.

"I just think probably (it's) a matter of time before he gets his time," Childress said.

Frazier noted that, should the Vikings win, their next playoff game would be Saturday.

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That would give him an even smaller window to fit in an interview.

Frazier isn't too disappointed with his current job.

He recalled a conversation he had with Jim Johnson, the longtime defensive coordinator of the Eagles. Frazier got his first NFL assistant coaching position with the Eagles in 1999, and Johnson talked about how much freedom head coach Andy Reid, who had an offensive background, gave him to run the Eagles' defense.

"To echo Jim, I feel I've got the greatest job in the NFL with Brad," Frazier said. "He has trusted me from Day One, to help in what we got to get done on defense. He's been supportive all along.

"It's a great job with the Minnesota Vikings."

Frazier also has been linked to the St. Louis Rams opening. Last year, Frazier interviewed with the Miami Dolphins and Atlanta Falcons for their head coaching positions. In Atlanta, one of the executives was Billy Devaney, who's now the general manager of the Rams.

What a kick: Vikings special-teams coordinator Paul Ferraro downplayed the signing of kicker Taylor Mehlhaff to a two-year future contract.

But Mehlhaff was excited.

"I think it's a great fit for me to just kind of get back in, get my foot back in the door as a kickoff guy and just worry about that. Get back to what my strengths are and build some confidence again," Mehlhaff told KELO-LAND television in South Dakota.